Reporting From Lausanne, Switzerland – The head of Italy’s Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic bid left a bilateral meeting with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Sunday claiming that his proposed project is unbeatable.
“It is not possible to have an offer better than Milan-Cortina, Lombardy and Veneto,” Giovanni Malagò, who is also President of the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI), told reporters 24-hours before IOC President Thomas Bach is set to declare a winner in the race against Stockholm Åre from Sweden.
“Milan is not only one of the best in Europe but is maybe one of the best cities in the world,” he added.
As many as 85 IOC members will vote for a winner Monday after considering an IOC Evaluation Commission report along with live technical presentations and final presentations set to take place as part of the 134th IOC Session at the SwissTech Convention Centre in Lausanne.
Both bids met at the Olympic Museum Sunday for an informal discussion with IOC President Thomas Bach and members of the Evaluation Commission led by Octavian Morariu.
Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte is scheduled to join the Milan-Cortina delegation Monday while Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven and Crown Princess Victoria arrived in Switzerland Sunday.
Una vigilia di prove, speranze e incontri. Domani a Losanna si chiuderà il testa a testa tra #MilanoCortina2026 e Stoccolma Are per l'assegnazione delle Olimpiadi Invernali 2026👉 https://t.co/j4VKLah6Ph
Tutte le emozioni del voto in live streaming qui 💻 https://t.co/2Ac2A2ff3X pic.twitter.com/ZQuqPQ7KOx
— CONI (@Coninews) June 23, 2019
Löfven, after attending the Stockholm Åre bilateral meeting said “Sweden stands ready to host the Winter Games of 2026.”
“The Swedish government stands fully behind this candidacy and we look forward to delivering it.”
Both bids are the first jointly-named projects ever accepted by the IOC, a move consistent with the organization’s new reforms to help organize more sustainable Olympic Games. They each offer widespread regional concepts with minimal build.
